Automatic doff latch



' Oct. 11,1927. 1,645,083

C. W. YOUNG ET AL AUTOMATIC DOFF LATCH Filed Jan. 1926 Charles W Vourzy- .fOSC Dfi HD/ggeii Patented Get. 11, 1927.

Mi ti? CHARLES W. YOUNG AND JOSEPH H. DIGGETT, OF GOODYEAR, CONNECTICUT, AS

SIGNORS TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBEER' COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A COR POBATION OF OHIO.

AUTOMATIC IDOFF' LATCH.

Application filed January 25, 1926. Serial No. 83,425.

Our invention relates to yarn twisting machines, commonly known as twisters, and it has particular relation to an attachment for controlling tl e operation of a so-called rail forming a part or" such twister-s.

7 One object or our invention is to provide a device so associated with the movable yarn guiding or traverse rail of a twister, that the latter will be stopped only when it has 10 reached a pre-determined position.

Another object of our invention is to provide a device which operates in conjunction with a traverse rail of twister, and which serves to stop movement or the rail in such position that yarn spools may be dolled with a minimum of inconvenience and a minimum loss of time.

A common type of twister employed in the textile industry includes a vertically movabl horizontally disposed rail known as a traverse or ring rail, which is provided with a number of. openings provided with rings secured therein through which rotatable spool supports extend, the rail being caused to move upwardly and downwardly to guide the yarn on the rotating spools as the twister operates. In order to obtain certain yardage for each spool, the twister is provided with an automatic so-called yardage mechanism, which measures the length of yarn. When a pre-determined number of yards have been wound on the spools, the yardage mechanism automatically operates a knock-off device which is adapted to engage a switch to tie-energize the motors employed for driving the twister, whereby operation thereof is stopped. The dofiing operation is then accomplished manually. I

It will be observed that the twister, if

ly to be stopped when the rail is disposed medially between the ends of the spools or at the tops thereof. Consequently, the rail interferes with the dofiing operation because the operator must manually move the rail to its lowermost position, at the lowerextremities of the spools, or the driving motor must be again started and stopped to place the rail in that position in order that the spools may be properly dotted.

These additional manual and mechanical operations involve loss of time and the yarn is likely to be broken, tangled or loosely wound and is likely to be soiled. Considercontrolled by a yardage mechanism, like.

able expense is thus incurred incidentally to of which lever is provided with a portion 7 adapted to engage the lowerside-of the twister rail. The other end of the lever is provided with a hook ,or latch member,

of a knock-on" device, which is actuated by an automatic yardage mechanism. When the rail moves to its lowermost position, the latch member permits the release of the knock-oildevice, but in the upper position of the rail, the latch prevents the knock-off device from operating. Thus, after, the yardage mechanism is set, and a pre-determined number of yards of yarn is wound upon the spools ot' the twister, our controlling mechanism will stop the latter when the rail is at its lowermost position. However, if the rail is at any other position at the time the predetermined number of yards has been woundon the spools, thelatch will prevent the knock-oil device from stopping the twister, and it will continue to operate until the rail reaches its lower position, at which time the latchwill automatically re lease the element of the knock-0E- device, and the twister will stop. The filled spools may then be removed from the twister and replaced by empty spools without further movement of the rai F or a better understanding of our invention, reference may now be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, of which:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a twister, partly in elevation and partly in cross-section, illustrating one application of our invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary perspective View of the automatic dotting latch embodying our invention; and

Fig. 3 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section illustrating an application of on invention, the view being taken substantially at right angles to the view shown in Fig. l. v

which is disposed directly above an element cured to the twister frame.

Because of the fact that the apparatus embodying our invention is peculiarly adapted to function in connection with certain operating parts of a twister, we shall briefly describe these parts and their relation to our invention, in order that a thorough understanding thereof may be had. Such a twister isindicated generally by the numeral 10, and it is provided with a horizontally disposed vertically movable traverse rail 11. A number of regularly spaced openings 12 in the rail register with'concentrically disposed rotatable spool supports 13, which are adapted to receive spools [14 upon which strands of yarn 15 are wound in a well known manner by operation of the twister. Adjacent one end of the rail 11 disposed a bell crank'lever 16, which we shall designate as an automatic dotting latch. This lever is composed of two arms 17 and 18,

rigidly secured together, as indicated at 19, the lever being pivotally mounted on a pin 20 mounted upon a bracket 22, which is se The arm 17 extends toward the rail, and is provided with a member 23,- secured adjacent the end thereof'by means'of abolt 24, which is adjustable vertically within a slot formed in the member 23. The member 23 is bent to provide an offset foot portion 26, which is disposed beneath the rail, and which is moved thereby as the rail approaches its lowermost position, as indicated in dot and dashlines of Fig. 3. An intermediate portion of the arm 17 is connected to one end ofa coiled tension spring 27, which is connected at its other end to a bracket 28 carried by the twister frame. This spring constantly tends to urge the end of the arm supporting the adjustable step 23 upwardly-toward therail. w

The arm 18 of the automatic doff latch is reduced in width adjacent its upper end, as indicated at29, and is provided at its upper extremity with a hook or latchportion 30,

the latter being adapted to engage the top of an arm 31 of a knock-on device 32.

As best shown in Fig. 1, the arm 31 of the knock-off device is pivoted intermediate its endsat 33 to the twister frame, a weight 34 being secured to one end thereof. Adjacentthe weight, a bar 35 connected at 36 to the arm 31 extends upwardly and engages an automatic yardage or yarn measuring mechanism37. This mechanism is adapted to be set in such manner that any desired predetermined number of yards of yarn may be woundupon the spools l4. lVhe'n the predetermined length of yarn is wound on the spools, the mechanism automatically actuates the bar 35 and the end of the arm 31 supporting the weight 34 tends to drop downwardly about the pivot 33. Further description of the automatic yardage mech anism is not believed to be necessary, as the structure and operation of such mechanism is well known in the art of twisting. v

The end portion of the arm 31 opposite the weight 34, is made adjustable by providing an end bar 38 slidable in a slot 39 in the arm 31, the bar being adapted to be secured in various positions therein, by means of a clampingbolt 40. A downwardly extending rod 42 ispivotally connected to the outer end of the bar38 by means of a pin 43, and is. provided at its lower ends with an elongate enlargement 44. The lower end of the rod, including the enlar ement, extends through an elongate opening 45 provided in oneend of an arm 46, the otherend of the latter being pivoted at 47 to an extension 48 of the twister frame. After the enlargement 44 is inserted through the elongate opening 45 the rod 42 is adjusted rotatably until the enlargement is disposed crosswise of the opening and therefore abuts against the lower side of the arm 46. A plate 49 is rigid- 1y secured horizontally upon the top of the extension 48 by means of bolts 50 and is provided with a Ushaped guide bracket 52, through which the outer end portion of a latch member '53 extends. One end of the latch member 53 is notched adjacent the bracket, as indicated at 54. The latch is pivoted at-the other end to a lever 56 by means of a pin 55. In order to maintain the latch member 53 in intimate engagement with the plate 49, one end of a spring 57, which is under tension, is secured thereto, and the other end of the spring is Connected to a bracket 58 carried by the extension frame 43.

An intermediate portion of the lever 56 is secured to a switch element 59 mounted in aconventional switch box 60, and a handle 62, secured to the lower end of the lever, is adapted to be manually manipulated in a clockwise direction to pivot the lever until the switch mechanism within the switch box energizes a twister drivino' motor (not shown). As the operation of switch bOXs of this type is well known, further description thereof is not deemed to be essential. A spring 64, under tension, is secured to the end of the lever 56, and to the rigid plate 49.

This spring tends to draw the upper end of the lever 56 toward the plate 49. However,

when the lever is actuated, against the tension of the spring, until the motor is energized, it will be held in that position by the plate 4.9,against which the notched portion of the arm 53 is adapted to abut.

In operation of the structure described in the foregoing paragraphs, a number of spools are placed on the supports 13, and the automatic yardage mechanism 37 is set to measure a predetermined length of yarn to be wound upon each spool. The motors are energized by moving the lever 56 in a clock wise direction, and is held in operating position by the arm 53. Also, the hook or latch portion or the automatic doll latch is 1n its proper position adjacent the extension 38 ot' the knock-oft device. When the predetermined length of yarn'is measured by the automatic yardage mechanism, the latter actuates or releases the bar 38, and the weight S ltends to swing downwardly. If the traverse rail 11 at this moment is in the position indicated by dot and dash lines of Fig. 3, it is in proper position for doffing, and the traverse rail will have engaged the adjustable member 28 to swing the latch portion 80 out of engagement with the bar 38. Accordingly, the arm 31 will draw the rod -12 upwardly against the arm 46, which engages the arm 53 and releases the latter from engagement with the plate 49. Also, the sprin 64 will swing the lever 56 in a counterclockwise direction, thereby operating the switching element 59 and stopping operation of the twister driving motor.

In the event the traverse rail 11 is in the position indicated in full lines of Fi 3 when a pre-determined number of yards of yarn has been measured, the latch member 30 of the autom'atic doti latch will continue to engage the bar 38, and the twister will continue operating until the rail again reaches its lowermost position, at which time the latch portion 30 will release the arm 88. Then the knock-off device, as above set forth, will release the arm 53 to stop operation 01" the twister motor. Thus, the twister is always stopped at the desired position, or at the proper position for dotting, and the apparatus may be adjusted by moving the ad justable member 23 and securing it rigidly by the bolt 24. Of course it is to be understood that the traverse rail 11 may be stopped at any selected horizontal position intermediate the ends of the spools 14, in the event conditions arise which require such operation. This may be done by adjusting the member 23 which is adapted to be moved independently.

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that we have devised a simple and effective apparatus, which will materially increase the efiiciency of a twister by saving time and labor incident to the operation thereof, as well as saving yarn which would otherwise be tangled or soiled and consequently classed as waste material.

Although we have illustrated but one form which our invention may assume and have described in detail but a single application thereof, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited but that various minor modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of our invention or from the scope of the appended claims.

What we claim is:

1. An attachment for a twister having a traverse rail comprising a latch member adapted to engage a stop mechanism of the twister and an arm. adapted to engage the traverse ail of the twister at any predetermined position ot the rail to release the latch.

2. The combination with atwister traverse rail and stop mechanism,0tamemberadapted to engage the rail and the stop mechanism for controlling operation of the stop mechanism.

8. The combination with a twister provided with a traverserail and stop mechanism, of a device operatively associated with the rail and with the stop mechanism for releasing the latter when the rail is in a predetermined position.

4. The combination with a twister provided with a'rail and a knock-off device, of an apparatus provided with a lever adapted to engage both of said members to control operation of the knock-off device.

5. The combination with a twister provided with a traverse member and a stop member, of a device comprising abell-crank lever adapted to engage both of said members to so control operation of the stop member that the twister is stopped only when the traverse member is at a predetermined position.

6. The combination with a twister provided with a rail and a stop mechanism of a device comprising a bell-crank lever pivoted to the twister and an adjustable member on the lever adapted to cooperate with the rail to cause the stop mechanism to operate only when the rail is in a predetermined position.

7. The combination with a twister provided with a rail and a stop mechanism, of a device comprising a bell-crank lever pivoted to the twister and an adjustable member on the lever adjacent the rail, and latch means formed at one end of the lever adapted to engage the stop mechanism and adapted to be released therefrom only when the rail has reached a predetermined position.

8. The combination with a twister provided with a rail and a stop-mechanism, of a device comprising a bell-crank lever pivoted to the twister and adapted to engage the stop mechanism, an adjusting member on the lever adapted to engage the rail, and resilient means connected to the lever and twister niachine'adapted to release the stop mechanism when the rail is in a predetermined position.

9. The combination with a twister having a movable traverse rail and an automatic stop mechanism, of an attachment comprising a member controlled by the position of the traverse rail for preventing the opera tion of the stop mechanism.

10. The combination with a twister having a stop mechanism and a traverse rail contiriuo sly movable in opposite directions, of an attachment comprising gt member CO1}- trolletlby the movement ofthe traverse rail for} preventing the operation of the stop mechanism at predetermined positions.

11. The combination with a twister having 5; traverse rail, 3 stop mechanism, and a measuring l k, f an a a m mp sa member controlled by the position of the traverse rail for preventing the opera- 10 time of the stop mechanism When released by the measuring'olock.

In witness whereof, We have hereunto signed our names.

CHARLES W. YQUNG. JOSEPH H. DIGGETT. 

